Discussing The Best Ways To Travel With Your Feline Friend
Cats are very independent creatures by nature and typically enjoy being in the comfort of their own home. Taking your cat out of their “comfort zone” can be challenging to you and stressful to them. But between veterinarian appointments and grooming sessions, traveling with your cat is unavoidable. The purpose of this article is to offer some general tips and advice for traveling with your feline friend.
Invest In A Quality Travel Carrier
When it comes to driving in a car with your cat, you should always keep them in a pet carrier. This is the safest option as it will prevent your cat from running around the inside of your car and potentially distracting you while you drive. Aside from keeping your cat in one place, a pet carrier also offers an alternative “comfort space” where they can feel more relaxed and secure. Being in a moving car can be very stressful for cats between the motion of the car, the loud noises, and the flashing lights. A pet carrier will offer your cat a space that is theirs and theirs alone. When it comes to purchasing a travel carrier for your cat, be sure to buy one that is large, durable, and comfortable. You want your cat to be comfortable and have enough space to move around while traveling. Durability is also important as you don’t want your carrier falling apart with your feline friend in it. In regards to types of travel carriers, we recommend a top-loading carrier for your cat as it is much easier to get your cat in and out of the carrier itself. For a more comprehensive list of travel carriers for cats, check out thesprucepets.com.
Introduce The Pet Carrier Ahead Of Time
A great way to help your cat adjust to traveling is to introduce them to the travel carrier ahead of time. Keep your travel carrier somewhere in your house that is easily accessible to your cat such as your living room or bedroom. You can try putting treats in the carrier, feeding them some wet food in the carrier, or even playing with their favorite toys in the carrier. The overall purpose of this is so your cat develops a positive relationship and/or association with the travel carrier. This will help make your cat more receptive and cooperative when it comes to getting into the travel carrier and going for a drive. Cats can be very particular and skeptical, so be patient and slowly build up your cat’s trust with your pet carrier.
Make The Pet Carrier Cozy & Comfortable
Just like people, cats love comfort. Don’t be afraid to line the pet carrier with the softest, fuzziest, and coziest blankets you have. Car rides can be rough between potholes, speed bumps, and sudden stops/turns. Having some extra padding in the pet carrier will make a huge difference in your cat’s overall traveling experience. The extra layers of soft and warm blankets will also contribute to the aforementioned “comfort space” of your cat’s pet carrier. Having a familiar feeling and/or smelling blanket to the ones they have at home will help enforce that feeling of a safe space and can help reduce their stress levels. If traveling with your cat seems like too difficult of a task, then you’re in luck! Here at CoolCatsCatSitting, we offer a pet taxi service where we will transport your feline friend for you. Check out the CoolCatsCatSitting website for more information!
Bring Proper Provisions
The best thing you can do for yourself and for your cat is to be properly prepared. Bring the proper provisions you will need depending on how long your driving trip will be. Bring some bottled water along with a collapsible bowl for them to drink out of. Some low-carb snacks are always helpful for any road trip. For longer trips, bring some food and a bowl for them to eat out of. For trips longer than 4 hours, we recommend investing in a small traveling litter box. Accidents happen, so it never hurts to bring some paper towels and extra blankets to clean up any messes.
